Restoring creek at Spanish Banks beach would affect parking spaces and dog park, says new report
The Park Board is set to vote on whether to move forward with a project that could see the restoration of a stream near Spanish Banks beach.
A report recommending the restoration of Canyon Creek says the project would mean changes to the city’s third largest off-leash dog area and the removal of nearly three-dozen nearby parking spaces.
The creek is currently covered by a swampy grass field but could soon see the light of day, provided that all stakeholders, including the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations, and the province, agree on how to do it. Public consultations would also be required.
Dave Demers, Green Party park board commissioner took to Twitter in support of the project and called it a “rare opportunity.”
Restoring the stream would include replanting native plants in order to create new habitat for birds, aquatic animals and pollinator species, according to a new report prepared by Francisca Olaya, an environmental planner for the city.
“The general concept and goal would daylight the creek to be similar to a stream in as natural state as possible,” it reads.
“The opportunities to daylight streams in Parks are relatively few in the City,” it continues.
But restoring the creek would affect the dog park, parking availability and the bike path, and therefore "comprehensive public engagement" would be needed.
Since the creek currently flows under an area of the off leash dog area, the newly restored creek habitat would be at risk of being damaged by adventurous dogs. Therefore, the report recommends fencing off the creek area. Doing so would reduce the off leash area by about four per cent.
The report also says that daylighting the creek could result in the loss of about 35 of the existing 266 parking stalls that are spread out over several lots, reducing parking spaces by 13 per cent.
The nearby bike path would also need to be diverted, which would solve a current problem of the bike path and pedestrian path being too close together, according to the report.
“The gravel pedestrian and bike paths through the off-leash area run parallel to each other close to the beach,” it reads.
“The existing paths running between the open grass area of the off-leash area and the beach area are currently a conflict zone for cyclists, pedestrians and off leash (dogs).”
There’s also the potential that salmon could eventually use the stream. Spanish Banks Creek, roughly 400 metres east of Canyon Creek, was restored in the late 1990s. The project was finished in 1999, and by November 2000, Coho salmon had returned to the stream after 50 years of absence, according to Park Board documents.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.